Accept it, cricket cannot grow beyond its current confines

And so it was. Precious little decent cricket was played in the first week of a supposedly exciting competition. By the time the proper matches begin the tournament will almost be over.

Australia and United States did not belong on the same field. Cricket exposes incompetence. Whereas in soccer a team can pack the defences, frustrating the opposition with organisation and effort in an attempt at least to contain the score, in cricket there is just a bloke with a piece of leather and a man armed with a hunk of wood. Also a game of soccer goes the distance regardless. Cricket can be cut short, lasting a few hours according to the clock but about five minutes in practice.

Most sports are trying to spread their wings. Admittedly, kabaddi seems content to remain as a local game, a modesty that might take into account curiosities that might dumbfound foreigners. Most of the rest want to catch the international eye. Cricket is doing its best to widen its appeal but spectators at major tournaments are paying the price of this ambition. Not that many have turned up for these one-sided encounters. Sports followers have the right to vote with their feet.

Cricket followers have been short-changed by events in the opening days of a tournament titled The Champions Trophy. Lovers of the game were asked to take an interest in the proceedings, not least by television moguls with advertising slots to fill. A picture was painted of a vibrant and unpredictable competition that would produce numerous upsets before the crowning of a worthy champion.

Perhaps the end will justify the means but it is hard to believe that the game has taken its opportunity.

Likewise it hard to imagine that anyone in America or Australia was interested in the brief contest played between their teams. Obviously cricket is keen to attract the attentions of a powerful nation but the Yanks might he better left to their own devices. Officials may say that they are taking the long view but that celebrated economist Maynard Keynes had the answer for that, replying, 8216;8216;in the long run we are all dead8217;8217;.

What is the answer? Cricket must consider creating three or more divisions, possibly with promotion and relegation. Not the least of the game8217;s current problems is that Bangladesh and Zimbabwe are weak to the point of embarrassment.

Although we get excited every time a young Zimbabwean scores 50 or takes a few wickets 8212; Elton Chingumbura is the country8217;s best player and in recent weeks he has done both 8212; or a promising Bangladeshi collects a handful of runs, the fact remains that these teams are not strong enough to win occasionally even in this supposedly unpredictable game.

Cricket has always split countries between those playing Test cricket and those in the second tier. Clearly the division no longer reflects the true state of play.

Bangladesh, black Zimbabwe, Holland, Kenya and perhaps the Americans need to play against each other for 20 years, need to play strong domestic cricket and to appear for clubs and maybe counties overseas before they can hope to bridge the gap.

Meanwhile cricket must accept that in some of the places the game is no more than a recreation for expatriates. Even where a genuine toe-hold has been made the game is struggling to break out.

In other words the game must slow down. Perhaps it cannot grow beyond its current confines.

Perhaps it needs to reinforce its principles so that it attracts support of its own accord. Did tennis or golf try so hard to expand? Yet they have become international games. Maybe cricket needs to study these sports.

Far from being a celebration of the game the Champions Trophy has exposed its limitations. Hitherto it has not been worth watching. Cricket is trying to do too much in too short atime.

Most particularly it trying to use this tournament both as an attraction and also as a vehicle for growth. It has not worked. But, then, it did not work at the last World Cup either, and it is time the lesson was learnt.

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